Ultimate Hot Rod Glossary – The B’s

“I’m gonna give my mouse some laughing gas, add some zoomies, throw on some big baloneys, and hit the quarter-mile with my tri-five.”

Okay, who talks like that really? Probably no one, although hot rodding does come with so many unique words and slang terms that it’s almost impossible to think of them all. But we’re going to try anyway. This week are the B’s, and next week we’ll bring you the C’s.

B

Baby HEMI: Any early Hemi Engine, which was produced by Chrysler’s Dodge and DeSoto divisions and had smaller dimensions and displacement than Chrysler’s other HEMI offerings.

Baby Moons: Small, chromed hubcaps that only cover the center of the wheel.

Banger: A slang term used to express the number of cylinders in an engine (four-banger = four-cylinder, etc.).

Banjo: An early style rear-end that resembles the shape of a banjo.

Barn Find: Any vehicle that was stored away in a barn or similar structure for an extensive period of time and then found and restored.

Basket Case: Any vehicle that was completely disassembled or needs to be completely disassembled for restoration or modification purposes. (Referred to as basket case because the process often involves gathering and collecting small parts in a basket over a long period of time).

Beach Wagon: A term for a station wagon used mostly in New England.

Beam Axle: Any automotive front axle featuring the cross-sectional shape of an I-beam.

Belly Pan: Sheet metal body panel, which has been custom fabricated to tightly conform the underside of a racing vehicle.

Belt line: The line running around a car’s body formed by the bottom edges of the side windows.

Big ‘n Littles: A hot rod or dragster tire combination which employs large rear tires for traction and small front tires for reduced rolling resistance.

Binders: Brakes.

Blower: A super charger.

Blown Gasser: A supercharged, gas-burning engine.

Blueprinting: The act of ensuring the dimensions of the parts in the engine are more accurate and, therefore, closer to the original engine blueprint values.

Boat tail: A speedster with a tapering (V-shaped) rear section.

Bobbed: Shortened, as in bobbed fenders or frame rails.

Bonnet: The hood over the front engine.

Brougham: An early motoring term signifying a closed car for two or four persons.

Bullets: Chromed, bullet-shaped extensions used on bumpers, grilles, and wheels.

Bump stick: Slang for camshaft.

Business Coupe: A simple two-door coupe, without a rumble seat, built in the mid- to late-thirties. (Also referred to as a Businessman’s Coupe).